ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Four years ago in 2020, Albuquerque voters were trying to choose their presidential candidate between the leading candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Now, the two are back on top, but voter enthusiasm, at least in terms of turnout, has waned.
In 2024, voters in Bernalillo County strongly supported Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate (winning 84% of the county's vote) and Donald Trump as the Republican candidate (winning 78% of the county's vote). This is roughly the same as in the 2020 primary, when Biden won 72% of the vote and Trump won 87%. However, the turnout is significantly different this time around.
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According to data from the New Mexico Secretary of State, voter turnout varied by precinct within Bernalillo County.
About 88,000 Democratic voters showed up to polls in Bernalillo County in the 2020 primary. Just 48,180 Democratic voters showed up to vote in the 2024 presidential election.
The same goes for Republican voters: More than 46,000 people voted in the 2020 primary, and 24,257 voted this year, according to Secretary of State data.
“Compared to 2020, we expect turnout to be lower given New Mexico's fiercely contested presidential primary and increased voter turnout,” said Gabe Sanchez, political analyst for KRQE News 13. “This year, Biden and Trump have essentially secured the nomination, and the battle for the top candidates will drive enthusiasm and turnout.”
The unique pandemic circumstances of 2020 also likely influenced the high voter turnout. “COVID-19 also led to unprecedented levels of absentee voting by mail across states, which contributed to record-high voter turnout that year,” Sanchez explained.
So how will low voter turnout in 2024 affect this fall's general election? Sanchez says it's entirely possible that turnout in November will also be low because “voters are less enthusiastic overall about either candidate.”
To hear Sanchez discuss the results and his campaign in more detail on primary night, check out this KRQE News 13 story: More details on the election results can be found at this link.
